1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a drum washing machine capable of re-circulating wash water to clean laundry with a relatively less amount of water.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Generally, drum washing machines are home appliances that are used to clean laundry inside a drum by friction force between a rotary drum and laundry. Due to development of drum washing machines, laundry can be less damaged and less entangled and the laundry can be washed as if it were scrubbed by human hands.
A door is provided in a front part of a body in a conventional drum washing machine to load or unload laundry. When a user tries to put or take the laundry in or from a drum, the user should bend his/her waist or sit down, which is inconvenient to the user. The drum washing machine having a door provided in a front portion of its body will be referred to as a front loading-type drum washing machine.
Recently, top loading-type drum washing machines have been developed, in which an opening for loading/unloading laundry is formed in a circumference of a drum and a drum door is coupled to the opening. Thus, a user can open the door without bending his/her waist and can load or unload laundry inside the drum.
FIG. 1 illustrates a conventional top loading-type drum washing machine.
As shown in FIG. 1, a conventional top loading-type drum washing machine 1 includes a body 3, a tub 5 mounted within the body 3 to store wash water, and a drum 7 rotatable within the tub 5 to wash laundry therein.
There are provided in both sides of the drum a motor shaft 9, a spider 2, a motor 4 and a motor housing 6. The motor shaft 9 transmits rotational force to the drum 7. The spider 2 transmits the rotational force of the motor shaft 9 to the drum 7. A plurality of elastic members 8 may be provided under the tub 5 to support the tub 5.
According to the conventional top loading-type drum washing machine, the rotational force of the motor 7 is transmitted to the spider 2 via the motor shaft 9 and the drum 7 rotates during a washing and ringing cycle. The drum 7 rotates and the rotation of the drum 7 is damped by the elastic members 8 connected to the housing 6 in media of the bearing fastened to shafts provided in both sides of the drum 7.
Since the conventional top loading-type drum washing machine may not have any secured space connected to the drum, a nozzle used in a conventional front loading-type drum washing machine may not be installed in the conventional top loading-type drum washing machine and it is impossible to re-circulate wash water.
That is, as shown in FIG. 1, a drum operation mechanism is provided in a side of the drum and a mechanism for supporting rotation of the drum is provided in the other side of the drum. Hence, the overall drum is closed and it is impossible to install any means for connecting an inside of the drum to an outside of the drum.